1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods that help streamline business processes, decision making and understanding. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing highly structured, easily visualized “fact sheets” and related supporting materials that are employed to formally present information to decision makers and others in a concise and organized fashion. In a non-limiting exemplary implementation of the invention described herein, the fact sheets are employed either alone or in conjunction with conventional software requirements documents to define the functionality expected from a software application that is to be developed. Such fact sheets can also be used to effectively manage a relatively large application development or business project.
2. Background of the Invention
The features and characteristics of the present invention are described herein, in large measure, in the context of developing a complex software application. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concepts, architecture and methodologies according to the present invention are equally applicable to managing and facilitating virtually any type of large scale project.
Turning to the field of software, in accordance with conventional software development methodology, an entity desirous of a new software application is typically requested to draft a formal document setting forth each of the desired software application's functions or requirements. The resulting document is often referred to as a “requirements document,” and often forms the basis of a contract or statement of work (SOW) to be accepted and executed by a software developer. Unfortunately, requirements documents are, among other things, typically very lengthy, include redundant (and even confusing) statements, and are not necessarily drafted as useful tools for software developers, resulting in a document that may make developing software, based on such a document, difficult.
Indeed, software requirements documents are often comprised of multiple levels of nested requirements set out in paragraph form that make the intent of a given requirement difficult to understand. Indeed, the order and wording of the requirements are often not chosen by programmers or coders who are expected to take the requirements document and, without further information, develop a software application that will meet or exceed the requirements indicated in the document. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there is often a “disconnect” between what a programmer might think is being required, and what an entity desiring the software application intends. Such misunderstandings can lead to frustration, wasted time, and unnecessary expense.
In addition, as present day software applications tend to be relatively large, they are usually developed by a team of developers and coders, as opposed to a single person. A team approach to software development injects yet another source of uncertainty in the overall process. For instance, it is not uncommon for two different programmers to take opposing views with respect to what a particular requirement is, how such a requirement should be coded, or what data might be necessary to satisfy the requirement. Obviously, this type of confusion and disagreement can lead to similar frustration, wasted time, and unnecessary expense. The same deficiencies are often realized in many types of large business projects, outside of the software field.
There is, accordingly, a need to provide better tools for managing and facilitating business projects, including, but not limited to, software development.
There is also a need to provide improved management capabilities in connection with large scale projects, including, but not limited to, software application development.